Maeve Sperrin considers herself a modern woman, but she’s not ready to abandon the rules of society yet. She is determined to marry well and be a good and loyal wife. Her best friend since childhood, Alice Woodmont, has similar aims but far wickeder ideas about how to achieve them. So when both of them set their sights on Lord Avery O’Shea, Earl of Carnlough, what begins as a friendly rivalry turns into war.
Avery O’Shea has been more interested in enjoying life than settling down to do his duty, but now that his sister is settled into married life, he sees that the time for him to marry and produce an heir has come. His only problem is who to choose. He is amused by the fiery Miss Woodmont, but there is something about Maeve’s beauty and grace that charms him. But when Avery discovers he has been the wedge that divided two best friends, he realizes there is more to duty than signing his name on an official document. To woo Maeve, he must come up with a way to reconcile the two friends, and in doing so, discover the love of his life.